Perfecting printing-machine



(N0 Mode1.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 1. J. T. HAWKINS. PB RFEGTING PRINTING MACHINE WITH MEANS FOR PREVENTING OFFSET IN THE SAME. No. 427,319. Patented May 6, 1890.

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J. T. HAWKINS. PEEFEOTING PRINTING MACHINE WITH MEANS FOR PREVENTING OFFSET IN THE SAME.

No. 427,319. I Patented May 6, 1890.

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J. T. HAWKINS. PERPEGTING PRINTING MACHINE WITH MEANS FOR PREVENTING OFFSET IN THE SAME. No. 427,319. Patented May 6, 1890.

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J. T. HAWKINS. PERPEGTING PRINTING MACHINE WITH MEANS FOR PREVENTING OFFSET IN THE SAME.

d May 6, 1890.

Ptente JOHN T. HAIVKINS, OF TAUNTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

PERFECTING PRINTING-MACHINE, WlIH MEANS FOR PREVENTING OFFSET IN THE SAME.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 427,319, dated May 6, 1890.

I Application filed March 28, 1889. Serial No. 305,194. (No model.)

chines, with Means for Preventing Offset in the Same, which invention is fully set forth and illustrated in the following specification and accompanying drawings.

The object of this invention is to provide a perfecting printing-machine to print from flat forms, and to adapt to the same the method of preventing offset on the second impressioncylinder, and for the removal of any slight residue deposited thereon, shown in my pending application, Serial No. 305,191, filed here with, (Case D,) as hereinafter described.

The invention will first be described in de tail, and then particularly set forth in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 shows in vertical longitudinal section so much of a perfecting printing-machine printing from two flat forms as is necessary to a full illustration of this invention. Figs. 2, 3, and 4 are diagrams, on a smaller scale, showing the places of the sheets for three different positions of the parts. Figs. 5 and 6 are sectional views similar to Fig. 1, showing modifications of the offset apparatus.

In said figures the several parts are indicated by reference-numbers as follows:

Referring to Figs. 1 and 4, the number 1 indicates a part of one of the main frames; 2, the type-bed carrying two forms, form 3 printing the first, and form 4 printing the second, side of the sheet. The number 5 indicates the ink-rollers and 6 the distributing-rollers for form 3, and 7 the ink-rollers and S the distributing-rollers for form 4. By suitable mechanism, in any of the well-known ways.

the rollers 7 and 8 are raised at the proper time to clear the form 3, as in Fig. 1, and, similarly, rollers 5 and 6 are raised to clear the form 4. The number 9 indicates the feed board; 10, the first impression-cylinder, and 11 the second impression-cylinder, these two impression cylinders being geared to and timed in any of the well-known ways with the bed-reciprocating mechanism so as to make two revolutions for each impression, and, by

any of the well-known methods, arranged to rise and lower alternately to escape the respective forms on the non-printing revolution and be held in contact therewith on the printing revolution. The numbers 13 and 14 indicate the grippers, respectively, of the impression-cylinders 10 and 11. The impression-cylinder 10, after taking the sheet, prints the same on form 3 during the first revolution, and the cylinders 10 and 11 are geared together and so timed with each other that cylinder 10 delivers the sheet tothe grippers 14 of cylinder 11 on the formers nonprinting revolution, after which impressioncylinder 11 prints the second side on form 4. The delivery-cylinder 22 carries grippers 23, and a well-known oscillating fly 24 receives the perfected sheets from deliverycylinder 22 and delivers them finally upon the usual receivingtable. (Not shown.) The impression cylinders 10 and 11 and the delivery-cylinder22 are allgeared together by proper spur-gears on their respective axes meshing together at the lines of contact of the respective cylinders. (These gears are not shown, as being unnecessary to the illustration of this invention.) A series of ab sorbent rollers 25 26 are placed at the back of impression-cylinder 10 under the feed-board 9, and a series of absorbent rollers 27 28 are placed at the front of impression-cylinder 10, both series being made with an elastic inner covering of felt, rubber, or other suitable substance and a renewable outer covering, preferably of a common grade of paper. These two series of rollers are j ournaled in brackets 29 and 30, arranged to slide horizontallynpon the frame 1 by means of the following-described mechanism: Links 40 and 41 are articulated at one end to the brackets 29 30 and at the other end to one arm of bell-crank 1evers 42 43, which are fulcrumed on studs 44 and 45, secured in the frame 1. To the other arm of bell-crank levers 42 43 are connected rods 46 47, which are bifurcated at their lower ends to embrace ashaft 4S and carry rollers 49 and 50. The shaft 43 is journaled in brackets attached to frame 1 and isdriven in any of the well-known waysso as to make one revolution to each sheet printed, and mounted thereon are box-cams 51 '52, having suitablyformed grooves therein embracing the rollers 49 and 50. By the proper adjustment and timing of the cams 51 52 through the mechanism just described the rollers 25 26 and 27 28, Fig. 1, are moved to and from contact with the cylinder 10 at the proper time. In Fig. 5 lever 32 is similarly operated bya bifurcated rod 35 and cam 51, and the roller 25 and rollcrs 27 28 are similarly operated.

The operation of the machine as shown in Figs. 1 to 4 is as follows: The sheet is fed to the grippers 13 of the impression-cylinder 10 from the feed-board 9 in theusual way, as is shown in Fig. 2, having been partly carried around impression-cylinder 10 and about to be printed on form 3, with the two series of rollers 25 and 26 and 27 and 28 raised from contact. During the first revolution of impression-cylinder 10 the sheets are printed 011 their first sides and pass in contact with rollers 25 and 26, which are lowered in time to meet them. The sheets then pass, in contact with rollers 27 and 28, which will also have been lowered to meet the sheets, down to the point of transference from impression-cylinder 10 to impression-cylinder 11, where the sheets are directly transferred, as shown in Fig. 3. Fig. 3 shows the first-printed side of a sheet in contact with the impressiomcylinder 11, the sheet passing down to be printed on its second side on form 4. It is then delivered to the cylinder 22 and down the fiy 24, as shown in Fig. 4, and iimpression-cylinder 10 has taken the second sheet down under the raised rollers 27 and 28. But two rollers in each series 25 and 26 and 27 and 28 are shown; but it is to be understood that there may be used any number in each series for which there may be room.

For the most ordinary kinds of work the rollers 27 and 28 maybe dispensed with, using parts are arranged as follows: The roller 25 has acircumference equal to the maximum length of the sheet to be printed. Said roller is placed at the back of impression-cylinder 10 under the feed-board, journaled in levers 30, which are secured to a rock-shaft 31 inside of frame 1. A lever 32' is secured to one end of the rock-shaft 31 outside of frame 1, to Whose free end is articulated a bifurcated rod 35 by means of mechanism already described to cause the roller 25 to run in c011- tact with each sheet after being printed on its first side and to remain in contact with that part of the impression-cylinder1O not covered by the sheet, and to escape on the non-printing revolution that part of the circumference of the iimpression-cylinder used for impression-surface, and on which the sheet lies during the printing revolution.

That part of the circumference of impressioncylinder 10 not used for impression is smoothly finished and coated with a non-absorbent varnish which will be impervious to printingink, and will readily receive the same from .the roller 25 and admit of being wiped off by absorbent rollers having a slight Wiping action. The roller 25 is covered with an elastic coating of a composition similar to that used for the inking form-rollers of printi'nganachines, which will shrink with use or with a first covering of rubber or some suitable elastic substance which will not shrink with use, and which is in turn given an outer coating of a non-absorbent varnish which is impervious to printing-ink, and which will receive or pick up the superfluous ink from the printed sheets and impart it to the non-impression part of the circumference of impression-cylinder 10. The series of rollers 27 28 have an inner covering of felt, rubber, or other suitable elastic substance and an outer absorbent covering, preferably of a common grade of paper. Said rollers are journaled in a sliding bracket 34, which is operated, as hereinbefore described, for brackets 29 30, Fig. 1, to slightly move them from contact with the impression part and run in contact with the non-impression part of the circumference of impression-cylinder 10 at every revolution. The rollers 27 and 28 may be geared to the impression-cylinder 10 by proper gears on their respective axes in a well-known way not necessary to show, with such variance between their respective pitch-lines and the diameters of cylinder and rollers as to cause a disparity of surface velocity between the roll- 'ers and impression-cylinder 10, and thus operate with a slight wiping action. Roller 25 may be driven by frictional contact with the impression-cylinder 10 or the sheet upon it if covered with a shrinkable compound, or may be geared to impression-cylinder 10 by means of proper spur-gears on their axes, (not shown,) so as to give equal surface velocities to impression-cylinder and roller if said roller be covered with an unshrinkable covering.

The operation as arranged in Fig. 5 is as follows: The sheet is fed to the grippers 13 of the impression -eylinder 10 from the feedboard 9 in the usual way, as is shown in Fig. 2, and having been partly carried around impression-cylinder 10 is about to be printed on form 3 with rollers 27 and 28 raised from contact with the sheet on impression-cylinder 10. During the first revolution of impression-cylinder 10 the sheets are printed on their first sides and pass in contact with roller 25, and then pass under but not in contact with rollers 27 and 28 down to the point of their transference from impression-cylinder 10 to impression-cylinder 11, being there directly transferred, as is shown in Fig. 3, with their first-printed sides in contact with the second impression-cylinder 11. Each sheet is then printed on its second side on form 4 and delivered to the delivery-cylinder 22 down the IIC fly'24, as shown in Fig. 4, when the impresroller 25, by offset upon it from the sheets,

has been reoffset upon the non-impression part of impression-cylinder 10 and removed therefrom by the absorbent rollers 27 and 28 at every revolution of impression-cylinder 10. In this construction it will be seen that the roller 25 runs twice over the non-printing surface of impression-cylinder 10 for every sheet printed, and rollers 27 and 28 remove this deposit from the non-impression surface of impressioncylinder 10 twice for every sheet printed. In this way roller 25 takes the superfluous ink as offset upon it from the sheets, deposits a part of it on the non-impression surface of cylinder 10 at the first, or printing, revolution, which is removed by the rollers 27 and 28 during the same revolution, and roller 25 deposits any ink that-may be left upon it upon the non-impression surface of impression-cylinder 10 during the nonprinting revolution, which is again removed by rollers 27. and 28, leaving roller 25 very thoroughly deprived of ink before encountering the next printed sheet.

Referring now to Fig. 6, the construction is the same as heretofore described, except as to the rollers 25, 26, 27, and 28, which is as follows: The series of rollers 25 26 are placed at the back of impression-cylinder 10 under the feed-board 9, and the series 27 and 28 are placed at the front of impression-cylinder 10. Rollers 25 27 are made of an elastic composition similar to the inking form-rollers of printing-machines, which shrink more or less in use, or are covered with rubber or other suitable elastic substance and an outer covering of a non-absorbent compound varnish impervious to printing-ink, which will readily receive superfluous ink from the printed sheet and give it off again to an absorbent or wiping roller and not shrink in use. Mounted to run upon rollers 25 27 are a series of rollers 26 28, covered, first, with some elastic material-as felt or rubber-and an outer renewable absorbent covering, preferably a common grade of paper. The rollers 25 27 are geared to impressioncylinder 10, where the rollers are made of an unshrinkable material, and rollers 26 28 to the rollers 25 27, all by proper spur-gears upon their respective axes (omitted as unnecessary to show.) The pitch-lines of the gears on the axis of impression-cylinder 10 and 011 the axes of the rollers 25 27 coincide in diameters with the diameters of the cylinder and rollers, so that there shall be an. equality of surface velocity in impression-cylinder 10 and rollers 25 27, and the diameters of the pitchlines of the gears on the axes of rollers 26 28 differ from the diameters of the rollers themselves sufficiently to effect a slight wiping action of rollers 26 28 upon rollers 25 27. If the rollers 25 27 are made of or covered with a shrinkable compound, the rollers 26 28 are geared to the cylinder 10 by the intervention of idleror intermediate gears inawell-known way, and the rollers 25 27 are driven by frictional contact with the rollers 26 28 and with the sheets and cylinder 10, and no wiping action of rollers 26 28 upon rollers 25 27 takes place, theink being removed from rollers 25 27 by absorption and rolling contact only. Each series of rollers 25 26 and 27 28 are journaled in sliding brackets 29 and 30,which, by mechanism already described, are made to move slightly clear of impression-cylinder 10, except at the times of the passage of the sheets under rollers 25, 26, 27, and 28, and at such times moved into contact. But two non-absorbent and two absorbent rollers in each series are shown; but any number can be used that there can be found room for.

For common grades of printing either of the series of rollers 25 27 or 26 28 may be dispensed with and the other series alone used, and for finer printing both series may be used.

The series of rollers 31 are of the same character as rollers 25 27 and the series of rollers 33 are of the same character as rollers 26 28. The rollers 31 33 are geared together and to impression-cylinder 11 in the same manner as described for impression-cylinder 1'0 and rollers 25 26 and 27 28. These rollers 31 33 operate in the same manner to remove any slight residue of ink which may be deposited upon the tympan-surface of the second, impression-cylinder 11 after the action of rollers 25 27 upon the first-printed sides of the sheets. A series of rollers 32, of similar c011- struction to rollers 26' 28 33, run in contact with and are geared to the delivery-cylinder 22, so as to have a slight wiping action, as above described, and serve to keep delivery cylinder 22 clean of any ink which maybe offset upon it from the second-printed sides of the sheets. For the commoner kinds of work and some varieties of paper, the rollers 31 32 may be dispensed with, and for the finer grades and highly-calendered paper all the rollers shown are used.

The operation of the parts as constructed in Fig. 6 is as follows:. The sheet, having been fed to the grippers 13 of the impression-cylinder 10 from the feed-board 9 in the usual way, has been carried partly around impression-cylinder l0, and is about to be printed on form 3, with the rollers 25 and 27 moved from.

pass under and in contact with them, delivering to them any superfluous ink which may remain on the sheets. The absorbent-covered rollers 26 28 meanwhile clean the ink from rollers 25 27 taken up by them from the sheets. The sheets then pass down and are transferred from impression-cylinder 1.0 to impression-cylinder 11 with their first-printed sides in contact therewith, as shown in Fig. 3, are then printed 011 their second sides on the second form 4, and transferred from impression cylinder 11 to delivery cylinder 22, and thence upon the fly 24, as shown in Fig. 4, when impression cylinder 10 has taken the second sheet down under the raised rollers 27 and 28. The roller 31 has meanwhile removed any slight deposit from the tympan-surface of the impression-cylinder 11 that may have been made thereon by the passing sheet and rollers 32 have kept clean the surface of delivery-cylinder 22.

The mechanism for operating the several sets of grippers is oinitted,as these constructions, being well known in the art, are unneces sary to illustrate this invention.

In the operation of. the absorbent rollers 25, 26, 2'7, and 28, &c., the roller first meeting the sheet will become soiled first beyond further use, and then in the order in which they meet the sheet, so that in removing the coverings of the soiled rollers the first roller is first removed for that purpose, the succeeding ones moved one place toward the removed rollers place, and a new clean roller put in the last place, all of which may be done While the machine is in operation.

Having thus described my said improvements, as of my invention, I claim- 1. In aperfecting printing-machine, in combination with a reciprocating type-bed carrying two flat forms, as 3 and 4, two impressioncylinders, as 10 and 11, geared to said bed, printing, respectively, on forms 3 and 4, and making two revolutions to each impression, each of said cylinders carrying grippers, as 13 and 14, and geared and timed with each other, so as to run toward each other at the top and transfer the sheets, after being printed on their first sides, from the impression-cylinder downward directly to the second impression-cylinder, and an absorbent apparatus placed to operate upon and remove superfluous ink from the printed sides of the sheets as they pass upon the first impression-cylinder before being transferred from the first to the second impression-cylinders, whereby the sheets are taken by the grippers of the first impression-cylinder, carried down between the first and second impression-cylinders, printed on their first sides by the first form, transferred directly to the second impressioncylinder with their first-printed sides in contact therewith, printed on their second sides on the second form, and offset of ink from their first-printed sides on the second impression-cylinder prevented, substantially as set forth.

2. In aperfecting prin ting-machine, in combin ation with a reciprocating type-bed, carrying two flat forms, as 3 and 4, two impressioncylinders, as 10 and 11, geared to said bed, printing, respectively, on forms 3 and 4, and

making two revolutions to each impression, each of said cylinders carrying grippers, as 13 1.4, and geared to and timed with each other, so as to run toward each other at the top andtransfer the sheets, afterbein g printed on their first sides, from the first impression-cylinder downward directly to the second impression-cylinder, an absorbent apparatus placed tooperate upon and remove superfluous ink from the first-printed sides of the sheets as they pass upon the first impression-cylinder before being transferred from the first to the second impression-cylinder, and a similar absorbent apparatus placed to operate upon that part of the tympan-surface of the second impressioncylinder which passes without sheets upon it, whereby the sheets are taken by the grippers of the first impression-cylinder, carried down between the first and second impression-cylinders, printed on their first sides by the first form, transferred directly to the second impression-cylinder with their firstprinted sides in contact therewith, printed on their second sides by the second form, and offset of ink from their first-printed sides upon the second impression-cylinder prevented or reduced, any residue offset of ink upon the tympan of the second impressioncylinder, removed and reoifset of ink from said tympan-surface upon the sheets pre-' vented, substantially as set forth.

3. In a perfecting printing-machine printing from flat forms, in combination with two impression-cylinders and-a reciprocating bed carrying two forms, an absorbent apparatus placed to run upon the freshly-printed first sides of the sheets while passing upon the first impression-cylinder or upon that part of the tympan-surface of the second impressioncylinder which passes without sheets upon it, one or both, consisting of one or more elastic rollers having a renewable absorbent covering, whereby superfluous ink is removed from the freshly-printed sides of the sheets by said absorbent rollers, offset of ink from the firstprinted sides upon the second impression-cylinder prevented or reduced, and any residue of ink deposited upon the tympan of the second impression-cylinder removed, substantially as set forth.

4. In a perfecting printing-machine printing from flat forms, in combination with two impression-cylinders and a reciprocating bed carrying two forms, an absorbent apparatus placed and operated to run upon the freshlyprinted first sides of the'sheets While passing upon the first impression-cylinder and upon the non-impression parts of the same cylinder, consisting of one or more non-absorbent rollers and one or more elastic rollers having placed and operated so as to run only upon the non-impression part of the periphery of said cylinder, whereby superfluous ink is removed from the freshly-printed first sides of the sheets by said non-absorbent rollers, deposited by them upon the non-impression part of the firstimpression-cylinder, removed from the same by said absorbent roller or rollers, and offset of ink upon the tympan of the second impressioil-cylinder prevented, substantially as set forth.

5. Ina perfecting printing-machine printing from flat forms, in combination with two impression-cylinders and reciprocating bed carrying two flat forms, an absorbent apparatus placed and operated to run upon the freshly-printed first sides of the sheets while passing upon the first impression-cylinder and upon the surface of the second impression -cylinder at that side where no sheet passes, one or both,'consisting of one or more non-absorbent rollers, each with an elastic absorbent-covered roller riding thereon, Wherebysuperfluous ink is removed from the freshlyprinted sides of the sheets or from said tympan-surfaee, one or both,by said non-absorbent rollers, the same removed from them by said absorbent rollers, offset of ink from the first-printed sides of the sheets upon the tympan-surface of the second impression-cylinder reduced or prevented, and reoffset from the tympan-surface of the second impression-cylinder upon the sheet prevented, substantially as set forth.

JOHN T. HAWKINS. WVitnesses:

J. F. HALEY, ALBERT J. PARK. 

